Spaniard Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam) went out on the attack today in an attempt to seize his final chance at a stage victory in the 2010 Tour de France. The last day in the Pyrénées also gave the 2008 Tour winner an opportunity to reflect on recent events in cycling, and took time to speak his mind on those that have recently cried foul.
“Today was full of action and inspired a lot of talk. For some it has been a crazy day, for others it was a day filled with stupidity, and for a few it was a day of bravery and courage... As far as I was concerned, it was a day to enjoy myself on my bike,” Sastre said candidly of the Tour's last mountain stage.
Sastre had his sights set on reaching the Col du Tourmalet at the front of the race, and staying there until he hit the finish line. He ended up missing the first group of seven that formed the break of the day, but refused to write himself off and began what ended up being a 100 kilometer solo effort to the base of the legendary climb.
His lone sortie between the peloton and the breakaway started off on a resounding note that he felt compelled to echo at the end of the day with a bit of reflection.
“When I was starting [my attack], Alberto Contador came to tell me that there had been a fall behind. I told him that all that seemed well and good, but at the time I had a teammate up in front. They stopped [neutralized the race] and then when I reached the finish line they told me who had taken a fall”.
Euskaltel-Euskadi's Samuel Sánchez was in contention for the overall, but had hit the pavement hard during the stage. The sensitivity of the peloton is at an all-time high following Andy Schleck's (Saxo Bank) mechanical earlier this week that cost him the yellow jersey. So much so, that the benefactor, Alberto Contador (Astana), did the unthinkable and "gifted" today's stage to the rider atop the Tourmalet.
“Whoever wants to start debating or raising controversy about this matter can do so freely. I’ve fallen in this Tour, I fell in the Giro d'Italia, I’ve had technical problems and no one has ever waited for me," he pointed out sharply. "I think we’re turning cycling into a sport for spoiled brats and that is what happens in these kinds of circumstances."
Many will agree with Sastre's comments, as it points out just how selective the "unwritten rules" in cycling are. Whether the rules are enforced seems to tie in with a popularity contest and, when they're not followed, a convenient excuse to hang failure on.
There are plenty of incidents this year that, when examined closely, may just put an end to riders being gifted second chances in the future. During stage three over the cobblestones nobody waited for Contador or the maillot jaune at the time, Sylvain Chavanel, and there were no complaints from the Astana or Quick Step camps. Conversely, the Spaniard's move in the heat of battle on the hors category Port de Balès was frowned upon. In retrospect, had stage two not been neutralized, Schleck's race would have been over a long time ago, and all of the friction up until now would be a moot point. As it stands, more times than not in this Tour the unwritten rules have yielded an unfair advantage rather than the intended honorable gesture since they have not been followed with any consistency.